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Marketing
When it comes to creating content for your blog (or newsletter, YouTube channel, etc.) sometimes the hardest part is just figuring out what sort of content to share. It’s easy to get sucked into some fairly unhelpful thoughts as you’re trying to brainstorm:
What should I even say?
Doesn’t everyone know this stuff?
What can I tell them that hasn’t been said already?
Let’s take a look at how visibility, content, and marketing work (in a real life example!).
Is your business set up to be a filter…or a pump?
Many business owners make the mistake of not being specific up front about who they serve and what they offer…but then end up on consults and scheduling conversations that go nowhere, ending in frustration.
Let’s talk about how to attract the right people and redirect the wrong people, so everyone gets to what they want - faster.
So many of my clients get so worried about being obnoxious if they’re promoting something “too much.” So they might just write one newsletter announcing the launch of a new offer and call it good. Or they post one photo of their work on Instagram with something like “DM me for details.”
They think, “well, I told them. If they’re interested they know where to find me” and just like that their marketing efforts have ended.
If you’re like most of the creatives I know, you love to overthink the business side of things. When you’re doing the work you love, be it making a new design, writing another chapter, or working with your clients, no problem. It’s all FLOW.
But when it comes to doing some task on your marketing list, you find yourself overthinking the whole thing to death.
Analysis paralysis comes on strong, and before you know it you’ve been thinking about that “great idea” for months!
Yikes.
The best cure I know for analysis paralysis, overthinking, or any other form of procrastination is to push yourself into action RIGHT NOW.
The other day I realized that over the course of my work day I had used 16 computer programs or platforms to get through my to-do list. And that’s not even all of the programs I use frequently.
There are additional Adobe programs, CRMs (customer relationship management), CMSs (content management system), social media channels, video editing software, audio recording software, and more.
So when people tell me that they’re intimidated by technology or that the suck at it, I realize it can be a tremendous barrier to creating an online business. If nothing else, it certainly feels crazy-overwhelming.
If you feel like your level of technical savvy is an obstacle, read on! Here are my tips and tools to make things just a little bit easier.
If you've felt resistant to promoting your work or advocating for yourself, know that it's totally natural! We're actually TAUGHT early on in school that you can just keep your head down and do good work, and you'll get the recognition or validation that your work is "good enough" through good grades.
“I really need to figure out Instagram.”
“I just have to start sending an email newsletter...but I’m lost on what to write.”
“Should I start advertising on Facebook?”
“I need a freebie!”
These are some of the concerns people have when they first get into marketing themselves. They get information about what they "need to do" but they don't know why. They're just shooting from the hip.
Know you need an email newsletter but not a clue what to actually say in it? Here's the deal:
For those of you just getting started, I want you to think about VALUE and CONSISTENCY. This doesn't have to be complicated or take all day, and it doesn't have to be different than what you're already writing on your blog or on social media...
